This month is “manistry” and “womanistry” month! Which means all of the women on our squad are at one ministry site and all of the men at another. The men are at a rural farm, while the women are at El Shaddai Ministries, on top of a mountain, in Piggs Peak, Swaziland.
Our main ministry focus is their children’s home. The home is for children who are orphaned, abused, or are sent here because their parents are not able to take care of them. El Shaddai Ministries also has a medical clinic, church, home school, and primary school.
We are each paired up with a buddy or two. We hang out with these kids, we play soccer and games, we tutor them, and we teach them about Jesus. I have been paired up with two boys: Madita and Sakhile. Madita is 8 going on 9 on May 26th, and is in the 3rd grade. He is a very sweet, yet tough kid. He lived in a halfway house before coming to El Shaddai. He loves to play soccer, watch movies, and be active. He also loves to cuddle during movie time. Sakhile just turned 8 on April 9th, and is in the 2nd grade. When he was little he was severely abused, and was taken away from his family by the government before coming to El Shaddai. He has some walls built up as a result, but he is very sweet and a bit sassy too. He loves to scour for snakes in the tall grassy fields, go on hikes, and play cards.
Besides hanging out with the kids during their free time, we have also been helping out and serving in other ways. Some ladies on the squad have been assigned to help out in the garden; some are doing manual labor projects around the property like cleaning and painting. While others are teaching at the homeschooler program; and some are helping out our host, Charmain, with fundraising and campaigning for El Shaddai Ministries. You can check out their ministry at www.elshaddaiswazi.org!
This month I, along with several other ladies, have been assigned to teach English at the El Shaddai Mission Primary School for the 2nd and 3rd grades. This is my first time teaching, and it has been a challenge. I have enjoyed teaching the kids; although it is hard to get the young ones to sit down, focus, and listen. It is a very tiring job so to all of you teachers out there: you rock! Keep up the hard work!
God has been teaching me patience and perseverance this month. Teaching young children English, who have not received the most structured or effective schooling, is tough. It is hard to teach them new concepts when they are used to merely copying down work, versus thinking and coming up with the answers to questions themselves. Repetition is a skill that they have, but critical thinking is not. So during this time, I have been trying to implement some of that into my curriculum because it is crucial for learning and becoming an independent thinker. However it is not possible for us to overhaul their education, which is difficult to see. But what we can do, we must do. So patience is key, and perseverance is a must. And most importantly, praying for the students, and trusting in the fact that they are in The Lord’s hands.
Please continue to pray for me, for the squad, and the ministries that we are working with. I am also still fundraising towards my $11,000 deadline. I have $2,440 left to go so please donate, share, and pass along the word. I cannot do this without you! And I need YOUR SUPPORT to finish this race! God bless!
All my love,
Jessica
“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20
